As a self confessed member of the Church of Bruce, I was looking for some lyrics to use in a Springsteen-themed health news roundup.
On Bruce’s page, I found this text and video of Bruce's introduction to Pete Seeger for Pete's recent 90th birthday concert in NYC.
He talks about the inauguration concert and thinking about Seeger and the Civil Rights Movement.
That day as we sang "This Land Is Your Land" I looked at Pete, the first black
president of the United States was seated to his right, and I thought of the incredible journey that Pete had taken. My own growing up in the sixties in towns scarred by race rioting made that moment nearly unbelievable and Pete had thirty extra years of struggle and real activism on his belt.He was so happy that day, it was like, Pete, you outlasted the bastards, man!
Heartfelt, wise-guy Jersey shore – a voice I can relate to. (I wanted to edit him but this was spoken from notes, not written.)
I’m doubly biased --I’m a big Weavers and Seeger fan. And Bruce is just my home town hero. We’ve been together for a long time even though we’ve never met. Listen to him closely, especially the first few albums. He's a poet.
Here’s more from the Seeger speech:
...(D)espite Pete's somewhat benign, grandfatherly appearance, he is a creature of a stubborn, defiant, and nasty optimism. Inside him he carries a steely toughness that belies that grandfatherly facade and it won't let him take a step back from the things he believes in. At 90, he remains a stealth dagger through the heart of our country's illusions about itself... He'll be on this stage momentarily, he's gonna look an awful lot like your granddad who wears flannel shirts and funny hats. He's gonna look like your granddad if your granddad could kick your ass.
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